Review
Biology
Thinh To Quoc, Ildiko Bacskay, Palma Feher, Adam Paller, Boglarka Papp, Krisztina Biro, Zoltan Ujhelyi
Summary: Nowadays, personalized protection against infectious agents has become crucial. Personalized nasal filters are a revolutionary solution that can effectively defend our body against environmental damage and pathogens. These filters not only maintain our health but also contribute to environmental protection.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Seong Uk Son, Eun-Kyung Lim, Soojin Jang, Jaewoo Lim, Seung Beom Seo, Taejoon Kang, Juyeon Jung, Seo Yeong Oh, Sun-Woo Yoon, Dongeun Yong, Jaejong Lee
Summary: The study developed a conductive thread-based immunosensor to easily detect airborne viruses, which is important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Walter N. Harrington, Christina M. Kackos, Richard J. Webby
Summary: The long history of preparing for and fighting influenza pandemics can inform the response to novel coronaviruses like SARS-Cov-2. Global influenza surveillance networks and detailed risk assessment tools have proven successful in containing outbreaks, such as the H7N9 influenza in 2013, and could serve as models for managing coronaviruses with pandemic potential. Containment efforts must continually adapt and incorporate new research and information gathered from global crises.
EXPERIMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hala Abou El Naja, Stefano Tempia, Amal Barakat, Amgad Elkholy, Amir Aman, Wasiq Khan, Abdinasir Abubakar
Summary: A study aimed to compare the influenza activity in the EM countries during the pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) and the pandemic period (2020-2021) showed a decrease of 89% in influenza positivity rate in the EMR.
Article
Immunology
Jose Alberto Choreno-Parra, Luis Armando Jimenez-Alvarez, Alfredo Cruz-Lagunas, Tatiana Sofia Rodriguez-Reyna, Gustavo Ramirez-Martinez, Montserrat Sandoval-Vega, Diana Lizzeth Hernandez-Garcia, Eduardo M. Choreno-Parra, Yalbi I. Balderas-Martinez, Mariana Esther Martinez-Sanchez, Eduardo Marquez-Garcia, Edda Sciutto, Jose Moreno-Rodriguez, Jose Omar Barreto-Rodriguez, Hazel Vazquez-Rojas, Gustavo Ivan Centeno-Saenz, Nestor Alvarado-Pena, Citlaltepetl Salinas-Lara, Carlos Sanchez-Garibay, David Galeana-Cadena, Gabriela Hernandez, Criselda Mendoza-Milla, Andrea Dominguez, Julio Granados, Lula Mena-Hernandez, Luis Angel Perez-Buenfil, Guillermo Dominguez-Cheritt, Carlos Cabello-Gutierrez, Cesar Luna-Rivero, Jorge Salas-Hernandez, Patricio Santillan-Doherty, Justino Regalado, Angelica Hernandez-Martinez, Lorena Orozco, Federico Avila-Moreno, Ethel A. Garcia-Latorre, Carmen M. Hernandez-Cardenas, Shabaana A. Khader, Albert Zlotnik, Joaquin Zuniga
Summary: By comparing patients with COVID-19 and pandemic influenza A(H1N1), it was found that influenza patients had more severe respiratory symptoms, while COVID-19 patients more often experienced dry cough and gastrointestinal symptoms. The immune responses also differed between the two diseases, with pandemic influenza A(H1N1) characterized by higher levels of certain cytokines and COVID-19 displaying a distinct immune profile with increased Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Malgorzata Okrasa, Milena Leszczynska, Kamila Salasinska, Leonard Szczepkowski, Pawel Kozikowski, Katarzyna Majchrzycka, Joanna Ryszkowska
Summary: The study aimed to develop viscoelastic polyurethane foams for respiratory protective devices seals, analyzing the impact of different formulations on foam performance. Higher I-NCO and water content levels resulted in decreased density and increased pore size of the foam, while functional parameters were found to be satisfactory at lower I-NCO and water content levels.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pavel Otrisal, Constantin Bungau, Vladimir Obsel, Zdenek Melicharik, Gabriela Tont
Summary: This paper discusses the obligation to use at least FFP2 level respiratory protective equipment in public transport and commercial areas within the European Union, as well as the meanings of selected symbols and markings on respirators. It also mentions the issues related to public procurement conditions affecting respirators. This review aims to provide an informative guide for understanding and using appropriate respiratory protective devices in various situations.
Article
Virology
Santiago Presti, Sara Manti, Francesco Gambilonghi, Giuseppe Fabio Parisi, Maria Papale, Salvatore Leonardi
Summary: This study highlights the increased prevalence of respiratory viruses, including RSV and Rhinovirus, following the easing of non-pharmaceutical interventions. The second season showed higher prevalence compared to the first, with RSV and Rhinovirus being the most common. Interestingly, there was a shift in peak incidence for RSV from February to November. The emergence of Rhinovirus as the most prevalent respiratory virus during certain months suggests competition among viruses and dynamic changes in viral circulation. Overall severity of respiratory infections remained relatively stable between the seasons.
Article
Virology
Oksana Zolotarova, Anna Fesenko, Olga Holubka, Larysa Radchenko, Eric Bortz, Iryna Budzanivska, Alla Mironenko
Summary: The 2015/16 influenza epidemic season in Ukraine was characterized by a severe outbreak caused by the A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, leading to a high incidence of acute respiratory infections and a significant number of fatalities. Genetic analysis revealed a diverse spectrum of mutations in the viral genomes, affecting antigenicity, virulence, and immune evasion mechanisms. The circulation of multiple lineages of A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses in Ukraine, a country with low vaccination coverage, posed challenges for public health measures against influenza.
Article
Microbiology
Ilana S. Fratty, Shira Reznik-Balter, Ital Nemet, Nofar Atari, Limor Kliker, Hilda Sherbany, Nathan Keller, Michal Stein, Ella Mendelson, Michal Mandelboim
Summary: Study findings suggest that the circulation of respiratory viruses, including influenza A, was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. The dominance of influenza A(H3N2) abruptly ended upon the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. However, the possibility of a post-COVID-19 influenza outbreak remains, emphasizing the critical need for planning the next influenza vaccine.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Amanda L. Skarlupka, Anne-Gaelle Bebin-Blackwell, Spencer F. Sumner, Ted M. Ross
Summary: The N1-I COBRA NA vaccine antigen showed cross-reactivity with various influenza viruses, providing protection and lower lung viral titers in mice challenged with different viral strains. This research suggests that the NA antigen has the potential to enhance the breadth of protection in a universal influenza vaccine formulation.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jose Alberto Choreno-Parra, Luis Armando Jimenez-Alvarez, Gustavo Ramirez-Martinez, Alfredo Cruz-Lagunas, Mahima Thapa, Luis Alejandro Fernandez-Lopez, Martha Carnalla-Cortes, Eduardo M. Choreno-Parra, Lourdes Mena-Hernandez, Montserrat Sandoval-Vega, Erika Mariana Hernandez-Montiel, Diana Lizzeth Hernandez-Garcia, Jazmin Ariadna Ramirez-Noyola, Cynthia Estefania Reyes-Lopez, Andrea Dominguez-Faure, Guillermo Yamil Zamudio-Lopez, Eduardo Marquez-Garcia, Angelica Moncada-Morales, Criselda Mendoza-Milla, Diana Cervantes-Rosete, Marcela Munoz-Torrico, Cesar Luna-Rivero, Ethel A. Garcia-Latorre, Parmenides Guadarrama-Ortiz, Federico Avila-Moreno, Guillermo Dominguez-Cherit, Tatiana Sofia Rodriguez-Reyna, Philip A. Mudd, Carmen Margarita Hernandez-Cardenas, Shabaana A. Khader, Joaquin Zuniga
Summary: Surfactant protein D (SP-D) may help differentiate severe pandemic influenza from COVID-19, with high serum SP-D levels possibly associated with death and renal failure in severe pandemic influenza cases. However, SP-D levels do not distinguish seasonal influenza from COVID-19 in mild-to-moderate disease.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mauro Scungio, Giulia Parlani
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in people's habits, with wearing face masks becoming a common practice in daily life to reduce the risk of airborne disease transmission. The high demand for surgical and FFP masks during the pandemic resulted in a global shortage, particularly affecting healthcare workers. As a result, many industrial plants shifted production to non-standard or community masks using adapted materials without specific regulations. This study developed a laboratory methodology to evaluate the filtration efficiency of these masks, employing an aerosol generator, a specialized measuring chamber, and an optical particle sizer.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
David M. Morens, Jaekeun Park, Jeffery K. Taubenberger
Summary: Despite our current understanding and resources, we cannot predict future pandemics caused by influenza A viruses. Concerns about an H5N1 avian influenza pandemic have been raised since 1997, but there are also other possible routes to pandemic influenza.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Adeel Nasrullah, Karthik Gangu, Ishan Garg, Anam Javed, Hina Shuja, Prabal Chourasia, Rahul Shekhar, Abu Baker Sheikh
Summary: This study analyzed the hospitalization and mortality trends for various respiratory viral infections from January 2017 to December 2020. It found a significant reduction in transmission and severity of these infections during the COVID-19 pandemic due to public health interventions. The study emphasizes the importance of timely and appropriate use of preventive measures to mitigate the burden of future respiratory viral outbreaks.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sudhir Venkatesan, Cristina Carias, Matthew Biggerstaff, Angela P. Campbell, Jonathan S. Nguyen-Van-Tam, Emily Kahn, Puja R. Myles, Martin I. Meltzer
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2019)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Cristina Carias, Eduardo A. Undurraga, Jacqueline Hurd, Emily B. Kahn, Martin I. Meltzer, Anna Bowen
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Immunology
Gabriel Rainisch, Bishwa Adhikari, Martin Meltzer, Gayle Langley
Article
Immunology
Cristina Carias, Susan L. Hills, Emily B. Kahn, Bishwa B. Adhikari, Marc Fischer, Martin Meltzer
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Amy M. Schwartz, Manjunath B. Shankar, Kiersten J. Kugeler, Ryan J. Max, Alison F. Hinckley, Martin I. Meltzer, Christina A. Nelson
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jennifer O. Ahweyevu, Ngozi P. Chukwudebe, Brittany M. Buchanan, Jingjing Yin, Bishwa B. Adhikari, Xiaolu Zhou, Zion Tsz Ho Tse, Gerardo Chowell, Martin Meltzer, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung
Summary: The study found that adding Twitter as a data source in USC monitoring can significantly increase the number of identified schools with USC, suggesting policymakers consider incorporating Twitter into existing monitoring systems.
DISASTER MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gabriel Rainisch, Eduardo A. Undurraga, Gerardo Chowell
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
S. Rana, M. Saavedra-Campos, S. Perkins, R. Mohammed-Klein, A. Wright, R. Cordery, A. Bell, C. Heffernan, M. Meltzer, L. Begum, Y. Chow, N. Q. Verlander, S. Balasegaram
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ketra L. Rice, Gabrielle F. Miller, Fatima Coronado, Martin Meltzer
MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT
(2020)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jesus Felipe Gonzalez-Roldan, Eduardo A. Undurraga, Martin I. Meltzer, Charisma Atkins, Fernando Vargas-Pino, Veronica Gutierrez-Cedillo, Jose Ramon Hernandez-Perez
Summary: Rabies is a deadly virus that affects animals and humans, with dogs being the primary source of transmission. The national dog rabies vaccination program in Mexico has successfully prevented thousands of human rabies deaths since 1990. Cost-benefit analysis shows that the program has been highly effective in terms of public health impact.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Ellen Kim DeLuca, Acham Gebremariam, Angela Rose, Matthew Biggerstaff, Martin I. Meltzer, Lisa A. Prosser
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of routine annual influenza vaccination post-2009. The results showed that vaccination had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) lower than $95,000/QALY for all age and risk groups, except for non-high-risk working-age adults 18-49 years. Vaccination was cost-saving for adults ≥50 years at higher risk for influenza-related complications.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sydney C. Hubbard, Martin Meltzer, Sunkyung Kim, Warren Malambo, Andrew T. Thornton, Manjunath B. Shankar, Bishwa B. Adhikari, Seonghye Jeon, Valerie D. Bampoe, Lauren C. Cunningham, Jennifer L. Murphy, Gordana Derado, Eric D. Mintz, Florence Kabinga Mwale, Elizabeth Chizema-Kawesha, Joan M. Brunkard
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Walter O. Ochieng, Tun Ye, Christina Scheel, Aun Lor, John Saindon, Sue Lin Yee, Martin I. Meltzer, Vikas Kapil, Kevin Karem
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shanta R. Dube, Jin Liu, Amy Z. Fan, Martin I. Meltzer, William W. Thompson
JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
(2019)